A Boston College sports blog capturing the highs and lows of being a BC fan living 1,000 miles from Chestnut Hill.

Saturday, August 17, 2013

2nd scrimmage gets Addazio talking

BC held their second scrimmage of the summer. The school did not release any stats about the practice. Instead they grabbed a series of quotes from Addazio. This is actually very useful since it gives us a perspective on where the team is and what Addazio is trying to do. Here are the topics he addressed and my thoughts.

1st teamers and depth
Addazio was happy with his starters and wanted to use this scrimmage to test the backups. If there is something keeping our new coach up at night it is the lack of talent on the roster and how he can work around it. The new staff feels there is enough talent to win games, but the dropoff from the starters to the backups is huge. To use old "cupboard" analogy: Spaz didn't leave the cupboard bare but there is only about a day's worth of food. Hopefully the scrimmage does allow someone to shine in game-like conditions. I also expect the staff to coach up a guy or two. One of the best things about a coaching change is new perspective on the roster. It is a second chance for some kids and a new approach helps some buried players reach their potential. When we had full staff changes (like Henning to TOB and TOB to Jags) a few players fans had written off became starters.

Who is going to catch the ball?
We know Rettig can get it to Amidon. So does Addazio and the rest of the ACC. Now is the time to find new targets. Addazio dropped Harrison Jackson and Marcus Grant's names. On paper they both seem like solid second options.

Getting ready for the season
There is one more scrimmage until Villanova prep begins. I know it fits with how we usually approach things, but this summer session seems especially short. Maybe it is lack of real news out of practice that makes things seem a bit rushed. I would never want to take any opponent lightly but starting the year with an FCS team makes is a blessing this year. They get to gameprep next week, play a game that they should win and then get ready for Wake in a short week. The schedule should make the transition from summer to games smooth.